My personal narrative

Personal Narrative

It's funny how so much can come from one well-worded letter sharing your voice with others. This is a lesson I learned the summer of 2016, when I was informed about a Sears's scholarship to an acting conservatory in Prince Edward Island. The requirement for receiving this unbelievable award, was a letter, stating why you wanted to win, and how acting has affected your life. I sent mine in, not expecting much, but what I got back, was the start of something amazing. To my astonishment, I had won the scholarship, and would soon be making my way to a place that has changed my life forever. Before this, I only had a taste of what theatre had to offer, but this scholarship opened up so much for me. It allowed me to truly experience the rich, and empowering movement theatre has on your soul.

Months later, I was stuffed in the back of a van on its way to Watermark Theatre in P.E.I. I had the whole back to myself, yet I still felt squished. I felt anxious. The closer we got to our destination, the fishier everything smelled. We were close to the water, so it was expected. Everything seemed so lively, and exciting. I could already tell this would be trip to remember. We arrived at 7 pm on a Sunday evening. When I first glanced at the theatre, I could not sit still. I was anxious, yet animated.

I walked up the steps to the theatre, gazing around at the island. I had never been to P.E.I before, so everything was new. When I opened the pale, wooden door, I was greeted by one of the workers at the theatre, Andrea. She seemed like a very polite, and bubbly person, I liked that about her. She told me that I would be staying in a house owned by a worker there, along with 8 other winners. "Feel free to walk around town, and have fun, but don't stay out too late." Andrea said with a big smile, as I closed the door behind me. I made my way down the street, until I came across a large, blue house, with a few vehicles out front.

I slowly pulled open the door, as all eyes locked on me. It was like I committed a great crime or something. They all welcomed me in, and shared the rules of the house. I noticed that every other person who won the scholarship was female, so I ended up taking a room upstairs. I unloaded my gear, and plopped down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I gently closed my eyes, thinking that I might as well sleep, after all, everyone seemed to be acquainted except me. That didn't really bother me though, I am always up for meeting new people. Then I heard a soft thud on the door, repeated by three more thuds. A girl named Olivia stepped into my dim, maroon colored room. "Hey, we are all heading out to get some ice cream, you can come if you want." She said before exiting the room. I thought that I might as well join them. After all, I should get to know the people I'll be living with for the next two weeks.

We all woke up early the next morning because we had to eat, and be ready by 7 am for the starting of the conservatory. They all rushed around the house fumbling to get ready. I chuckled to myself, as I was already waiting by the door. We arrived at the theatre, being greeted by Andrea, and our other teacher over the weekend. Joshua would teach us stage combat, while Leah taught comedy. Jake was our teacher for improv, and Susanne did a little bit of everything. Once introductions were out of the way, we met up with the other students in the conservatory who paid their way in. I was looking forward to the days ahead; after all this was a dream come true.

The first week was fantastic, full of games and lessons. I think the highlight of my week was that weekend. The conservatory gave you one weekend to do whatever your heart desires. I decided to spend mine with Qwyn, a friend I met at the conservatory. Qwyn was a funny, and smart guy. We were pretty similar to, which made us more compatible. I knew I could be myself around him, he wasn't like other people. We spent most of our time in the woods. There was never a dull moment around him. If we weren't adventuring we were laughing till our sides ached. Nothing beat that feeling of adrenaline. Upon the weekends closing, I was excited to start back up at the theatre, but that doesn't mean the weekend wasn't a ecstatic.

I woke up eager to start week two. I had already grown more comfortable on stage, and learned some new acting tips. I felt like a genuine performer and I loved it. I wondered what kind of stuff Leah would have in store for us when we arrived. I walked down stairs, greeting all of the rushing girls as I made my way to the door. Again, I found myself walking down the same gravel road, taking in the beautiful scenery from all around. Each tree seemed to sparkle, like a star in a night sky. As I entered the theatre, Leah was waiting for us with a big grin painted on her face. "Good morning dudes, I got something great planed for you today," she exclaimed as she handed around sheets of paper. She gave each of us a script from different skits in Monty Python. I was paired with Qwyn, and two others to perform the Banter sketch. Qwyns role was the captain, while I was Chapman. It felt good to be someone else, and really helped open up my acting spirit. I felt a freedom that I hadn't experienced before, I felt a sense of belonging. These skits occupied most of our week, while the other portion was spent with Jake.

Jake would give us various improv situations, in which it was our duty to give them meaning, and character. If he said restaurant, we would have to make a scene adding emotion, and conflict in order to interest the viewers. The greatest part about improv, is that it's all on the spot. You will never see the exact same thing twice. These exercises not only gave me the confidence I needed to be where I am today. They helped me understand what it means to be an actor and how it feels to put yourself in other's shoes, allowing you to feel what they felt. This was always a good feeling. I could go through so many different emotions in one day, and it really makes you appreciate the smaller things in life. Jakes enthusiasm definitely helped with all that. He pushed us to be the very best we could possibly be. This new knowledge, still helps me today. I can now see things from different points of view, which allows a better insight into any situation.

The week flew by, and before we knew it, we were doing our final performances on stage. I remember the look on all of their faces, we were all having a blast! I would gaze around the room at the large audience who came to watch. I could see the awe in their eyes, and I'd bet anything that they could see the passion in mine. I felt like a blazing fire; the more scenarios thrown my way the more sparks I felt inside me. I never wanted to let that moment burn up.

By the end of our acts, everyone wanted so badly to stay. We all reluctantly said farewell to each other, and I got in the back of the van once more. As we drove away everything started to fully sink in, and I smiled. I knew where I wanted to go in life, and I could never thank my new friends enough for shining this light on me.

That experience taught me a lot. It is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I not only improved as a performer, but I grew as a person too. I realized that I had the potential to put smiles on the faces of an audience. This really means a lot to me. I try my hardest to make everyone happy, it's who I am. This conservatory was a part of my life that fueled my desire to act. It was worth every second of it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.